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World Social Innovation Congress: Winners & Takeaways

In his opening address, Peter A. Bruck, Chairman of the World Summit Awards, asked an audience of young social entrepreneurs and innovators, international thought-leaders, ICT experts and regional stakeholders:

“What are the benefits of disruptive technology? How many people are being left behind in the digital revolution? How do we use technology in a creative way for the benefit of society?”

The purpose of the World Summit Award Social Innovation Congress was to recognise digital innovation in creating sustainable social change and impact world-wide. Based on the belief that digital technologies are one of the main drivers for the United Nations agenda towards the Sustainable Development Goals, attendees discussed and shared experiences on how social innovation and entrepreneurship can be encouraged and play a key role in making a sustainable impact on society.

A central component of the Congress was the World Summit Award (WSA), which was initiated in 2003 in the framework of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS). The Awards’ objective is to select and promote the best practices in digital social innovation from all UN member states. A big congratulations to this year’s ‪World Summit Award Global Champions:

In building and supporting an ecosystem to help transform the lives of the needy and vulnerable, Corporate partner Singtel used the congress to launch its 6-month Future Makers programme, which provides aspiring impact entrepreneurs, changemakers and social innovators with the unique opportunity to grow their organisation, refine their business model and scale their social impact – including monetary support of up to S$20,000. The programme is built on past year’s success of community engagements, mentorship and funding support for social entrepreneurs across Singapore and Australia including Optus’ highly successful Future Makers program, which focused on leveraging technology to tackle the big issues affecting vulnerable youth.

Singtel Future Makers is open to passionate individuals who believe that technological innovation can create wide-scale social impact that will help shape future success for Singapore. To get you inspired to apply, here are some thought-provoking quotes that represent the key takeaways from this year’s World Summit Award Social Innovation Congress.

“We have to shift from seeking jobs to inventing jobs. You shouldn’t have to be Tom Cruise to start a business… To succeed with the Sustainable Development Goals we need to get everybody involved.”

“We take the internet for granted but its future cannot be assumed. We must choose an internet we want. We want an open internet where our freedoms are preserved… one of trust not threats.”

“Create global connections is essential for creating social impact… The future is exponential. It always has been. We just couldn’t see it. How will you impact 10 billion people’s lives in the next 10 years?”

“It’s not only how technology is impacting GDP or growth, it’s also about how it’s impacting lives, especially for the underserved. Development is about promoting strong societies as well as propelling powerful economies.”

“Asia is the world’s social capital but beyond Instagram, selfies and hashtags – what technology is making a difference?”

Ralph Simon – Faculty Member for Exponential Health at Singularity University – @ralphsimon1

“I think higher education is about to go through a disruption similar to that being experienced by the news and media industry… We’re going to pass from a manufacturing era to a mindfacturing era…It’s easier than ever to start a media company.”

“In your hands is the power of your voice.”

“A good person to us is conscious of their positive impact on the world.”

“To understand innovation we need to understand what stimulates innovation. A lot of innovation in developed countries is not based on need, they are enhancements and improvements… Innovation doesn’t always mean high-tech.”

The Social Good Summit brought together inspirational and committed activists, photographers, academics and business leaders on a single stage, to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time and ask the question, “What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?”

Australia is one of the luckiest countries in the world, there’s no doubt about it. We’re blessed with a democratic government, a productive economy and a beautiful country. But our young people are currently being underserved.

Social Impact, Intrapreneurship, Benefit Corporation, Shared Value — there are a lot of buzzwords that get thrown around in the social arena. It is important to understand what these terms mean and when to use them – or when not to use them. Here is a quick guide to help you get to grips with all the jargon and fanfare that surround social change. Whether you add them to your lexicon or boycott them is up to you, just make sure you know what they mean.